Artwork
Sisters
Sisters is an oil painting. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The canvas presents a pair of women positioned side by side, each rendered with fair complexion and dark hair gathered into braids.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1840, Sisters is an oil painting on canvas created by an unidentified American artist of the nineteenth century.
Executed in 1840, Sisters is an oil painting on canvas created by an unidentified American artist of the nineteenth century. The work functions as a portrait and measures 46 cm in height by 60.8 cm in width. While the specific handling of the paint and the current physical condition of the support are not detailed in available records, the piece is classified formally within the genre of portraiture.
The composition reflects the stylistic conventions of American painting from the mid-nineteenth century, though specific attributes regarding brushwork or color palette remain undocumented in the primary sources.
History & Provenance
Sisters is an oil on canvas portrait painted in 1840 by an American 19th century artist. It entered the New York art market, was sold in 1951 by David Hollander to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, and subsequently bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1980. The work measures 46 cm by 60.8 cm and remains in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The painting Sisters is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was recorded as originating from New York and was sold in 1951 by David Hollander of New York City to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who later bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in 1980.
The work measures 46 cm in height and 60.8 cm in width and is classified as an oil on canvas portrait from the American 19th century.
Sisters has been part of the National Gallery of Art's permanent collection since 1980 and has been exhibited in various displays of 19th-century American paintings within the museum's galleries.
Context
Sisters, painted in 1840 by an American 19th‑century artist, is classified as a portrait and executed in oil on canvas. It entered the National Gallery of Art collection in Washington, D.C., through a bequest from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch in 1980, having previously been owned by David Hollander of New York City. The work is part of the Gallery’s holdings of early American portraiture and contributes to scholarly discussions of mid‑century portrait conventions in the United States.
Overview
The canvas presents a pair of women positioned side by side, each rendered with fair complexion and dark hair gathered into braids. Both figures wear matching dark garments that feature off‑the‑shoulder sleeves, set against a light‑toned background that isolates them from any surrounding detail.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on the visual contrast between the two sisters: one possesses brown eyes, the other blue, while their expressions remain neutral. The juxtaposition of differing eye colors within an otherwise identical presentation invites contemplation of individuality and kinship without overt narrative cues.
Artist & collection
